Category Archives: mohair

PROJECT On the C Train (another take)

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On the C Train

I think On the C Train has become my default hat pattern for exploring yarn combinations! I’m sorry if you’re getting sick of it, it’s just easy and versatile and free and simple to adapt … and patterns that work make me happy!

This time round I was looking to combine a worsted weight yarn, the new Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS, with a strand of kid-mohair, Drops KID-SILK. Combining the two creates a softer, fuzzier texture, and it can also create a depth of colour not otherwise available in the base yarn. In a hand-painted yarn like Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS it also gives you an opportunity to shift the colours, make them darker or lighter, or bring out certain colours and make them POP! Keep reading below for more about combining, as well as the colours that play well together.

If you love the idea of combining but want a different project, see below for a few recommendations that will work with these yarns. Turmeric and Rooibos are made with a different yarn that’s been discontinued but are still my favourite visions of what can be done when you combine a hand-paint with a coloured kid-mohair.

Modifications

  • I had lots of yarn to work with, so I made the hat with a warm turned-up brim (just knit for an extra 2.5″ to 3″) , but you can make yours like the originl version if you like.
  • I knitted the brim with 4.5mm/US7 needles to make it a bit tighter and a bit warmer, and to keep it more elastic and resilient. You can skip this if you like, it isn’t necessary.
  • You can add a Pom-Pom or go without, it’s all about your own style!
  • To make a larger size cast on an extra 8 sts, to make a child size cast on 80 sts.

Size

  • One Size, comfortably fits a medium (22″) head.
  • To make a larger size cast on an extra 8 sts, to make a child size cast on 80 sts

Let’s Talk About Combining …

In the picture above the mini-sweater on the left was knitted with just Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS and 4.5mm/US7 needles. The mini-sweater on the right was made holding one strand of Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS with one strand of Drops KID-SILK and 5mm/US8 needles.

When you combine a regular yarn with a kid-mohair a few things happen …

  • The tension gets thicker, so you can go up a needle size (usually by 0.5mm for hats or mittens, or 1 mm or more for projects knitted at a regular tension like a sweater or a blanket, or more than 1mm for something looser like a shawl).
  • The colour shifts slightly. If the mohair is a lighter colour the project will look lighter, if it’s brighter it’ll brighten it up, and if it’s darker it’ll have a darker cast.
  • The texture changes and gets a bit softer, fuzzier, and takes on an aura.

For this project I used a neutral greyish-white which blended well with the background undyed colour of the base yarn and mellowed the overall colour out. If I’d wanted to bring out the orange speckles I could have used KID-SILK colour 32 Raspberry, or to make the teal more dominant I would use KID-SILK colour 24 Petrol. You can see my colour recommendations below and on our website for Cascade 220 SUPERWASH HAND PAINTS.

Materials

Other Projects

For some great patterns that you can used this yarn combination, check out the following:

KITS Turmeric + Rooibos Pre-Order

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The following two projects were so beautiful that I wanted to share them. These easy projects feature a simple, top-down construction in the round for minimal finishing. They have a lovely depth of colour and texture, created by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, its easy). One is a hand-painted Peruvian wool, the other a light, lace-weight blend of kid-mohair & silk. The combination is stunning, the two yarns blend together so gracefully that they look like they were made for each other. The thicker yarn provides the main colour palette and the mohair delicately colours in the back-ground. I sat down with the shade cards, comparing colours to figure out which colours work best together, so you don’t have to worry about what goes with what. I put together a bunch of options, but my favourite colour combinations are the ones where the mohair picks up the most dominant colour in the hand-painted yarn.

The Yarns

Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint is a classic worsted weight, 100% Superwash Peruvian wool. Ultra Wool Handpaint is hand-dyed using a watercolor brush technique. The result is the machine-washable wool you love with speckled colors throughout. We recommend alternating skeins to get a cohesive overall look as each skein is unique. Use it along with our Ultra Wool for unlimited combinations. 100% Superwash Wool, 100g/200m (219 yds), made in Peru.

Berroco Aerial is an airy and light blend of mohair and silk. It’s a perfect yarn to carry along with any one of our work-horse yarns to give a soft halo to any project. 65% Superkid Mohair, 35% Silk, 25g/260m (284 yds). Hand-wash in cold water, lay flat to dry.

PRE-ORDER

These kits as a special-order and we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, although you have the option to order it any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible. It may take two to three weeks to get your kit, or less time, depending on when our next order is shipping.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a classic oversized, simple circular yoke pullover combining  Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint and Berroco Aerial for an allover dreamy look. This easy project creates depth of colour and texture by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, it’s not hard). Turmeric is worked in one piece in the round, from the top-down.

Size

  • Finished Bust: (36, 41½, 45) [49, 53, 56½] {60, 64, 68}” / (91.5, 105.5, 114.5) [124.5, 134.5, 143.5] {152.5, 162.5, 172.5} cm
  • Length: (22, 22¼, 22¼) [22½, 22½, 23] {23, 23, 24}” / (56, 56.5, 56.5) [57, 57, 58.5] {58.5, 58.5, 61} cm (down center back)
  • Shown in size 41½” / 105.5 cm.
  • Recommended ease: approximately 8″ / 20 cm of positive ease.

Kit Includes

Kit DOES NOT Include

Gauge: 17 sts and 26 rows = 4″ / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch on larger needles with C1 and C2 held together

Rooibos

Rooibos is a classic and easy-to-wear raglan using Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint and Berroco Aerial. This easy project creates depth of colour and texture by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, it’s not hard). Rooibos is worked in one piece in the round, from the top-down.

Size

  • Chest/Bust: (36, 40, 45) [49, 53, 57] {62, 66, 70}” / (91.5, 102, 114) [124.5, 137, 145] {158, 168, 178} cm
  • Length: (20, 21, 21½) [22, 22½, 23] {24, 24½, 25½}” / (51, 53, 54.5) [56, 57, 58.5] {61, 62, 65} cm
  • Shown in size 45″ / 114 cm.
  • Recommended ease: approximately 8–10″ / 20–25.5 cm positive ease.

Gauge: 16 sts and 22 rows/rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in St st on larger needles with MC and CC held together

Kit Includes

Kit DOES NOT Include

PROJECT Novice Cardigan

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Photo: © PetiteKnit

Novice Cardigan – Mohair Edition

A simple sweater makes for a very satisfying project (and a great sweater), and Petite Knit is really, really, really good at that. Besides designing patterns for beautiful, simple silhouettes, she does a lot of combining of fibres, which creates a depth of colour and texture that goes beyond what you can get out of a single strand. The Novice Cardigan Mohair Edition is designed with 2 strands of a lace-weight mohair, like Drops Kid-Silk, held together. There are a few different ways you can go about this:

1. Same Yarn & Colour (Identical Twins)

You can use (ie. Drops Kid-Silk) like the designer has done in her sample (see the picture above for a closeup). Easy, peasy, no thinking, falls under Keep It Simple Sister.

Photo: © PetiteKnit

2. Combine Two Colours (Fraternal Twins)

A second option could be to use two different colours of the same yarn (ie. Drops Kid-Silk). If you want to create a depth of colour chose two that are close together, and their fuzzinesses will blend together and make them look like something new. Below are a few examples of to illustrate my point ….

3. Combine Fibres (Kissing Cousins)

The option that gets me really excited is to combine different fibres in colours that complement each other, thereby creating a dept of colour and texture – something you’ll never find in a store-bought garment. For this pattern I’m crushing on Fibre Co Meadow (On Sale to Sept 6) paired with Drops Kid-Silk. A lighter shade of kid-mohair will brighten up the base yarn, while a colour that is closer to the base will blend more, and create a halo. The most important thing is that the base tones match. For the the following examples I’ve eyeballed and scrutinized the skeins in natural light to make sure they work together, or as Erica says ‘make sense’. (FYI, if you’ve only got 1 skein of Meadow see the bottom of the page for a smaller project)

4. Single Strand of Yarn (Friends of the Family)

Lastly, you can use a single strand of DK Weight yarn (something that knits at around 22 to 21 sts/4″) … made in the right yarn, like Fibre Co Acadia, Malabrigo Arroyo, or even Kelbourne Woolens Scout could make for a very happy cardie!

Photo: © PetiteKnit

Size

  • XS (S) M (L) XL (2XL) 3XL (4XL) 5XL
  • Finished Bust circumference: 96 (100) 105 (111) 120 (129) 140 (151) 161 cm OR [37¾ (39¼) 41¼ (43¾) 47¼ (50¾) 55 (59½) 63¼ inches]
  • Length: 52 (54) 56 (58) 59 (60) 61 (62) 63 cm OR. [20½ (21¼) 22 (22¾) 23¼ (23½) 24 (24½) 24¾ inches] measured mid back
  • Designed to fit an approximate bust circumference of 80-85 (85-90) 90-95 (95-100) 100-110 (110-120) 120-130 (130-140) 140-150 cm [31½-33½ (33½-35½) 35½-37½ (37½-39½) 39½-43¼ (43¼-47¼) 47¼-51¼ (51¼-55) 55-59 inches].
  • Designed to have approx. 10 cm [4 inches] of positive ease, meaning it is designed to be approx. 10 cm [4 inches] larger in circumference than your body. (This means that if you, for example, measure 90 cm [35½ inches] around your bust or widest upper body part (measure yourself around your bust, or your widest point, using a measuring tape), you should knit a size S which has a circumference of 100 cm [39¼ inches]. This will give you 10 cm [4 inches] of positive ease.)

Yarn Options

  1. Drops Kid-Silk: 8(8-9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-15) balls in one colour
  2. Drops Kid-Silk: 5(5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) balls in each of TWO colours (you may end up with an extra ball of yarn this way, but it’s better than running out)
  3. Drops Kid-Silk: 5(5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8) balls, AND Fibre Co Meadow: 2(2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4) skeins (ON SALE TO SEPT 6)
  4. Any DK Weight Yarn : 850(850 to 950, 950, 1060, 1060, 1166, 1272, 1378, 1484 to1590)m

Other Materials

Photo: © PetiteKnit
Photo: © PetiteKnit

Oslo Hat – Mohair Edition

FYI, if you’ve only got 1 skein of Fibre Co Meadow (On Sale to Sept 6) pair it with 2 balls of Drops Kid-Silk and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous hat!

Size

Fits head circumference: 47-48 (49-50) 51-52 (53-54) 55-56 (57-59) 60-63 cm [18½-19 (19¼-19¾) 20-20½ (20¾-21¼) 21¾-22 (22½-23¼) 23½-24¾ inches]

Materials

Photo: © PetiteKnit

KITS Turmeric + Rooibos Pre-Order

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The following two projects were so beautiful that I wanted to share them, despite their being slightly out of season. Even if you don’t pick one up now, it’ll be in the back of your head – the sweater you want to wear next fall …. the sweater that almost makes you wish winter was a little bit longer. Almost. And of course, some of you live in places where winter is a bit longer and summer is a little shorter … the sweater belt.

These easy projects feature a simple, top-down construction in the round for minimal finishing. They have a lovely depth of colour and texture, created by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, its easy). One is a hand-painted Peruvian wool, the other a light, lace-weight blend of kid-mohair & silk. The combination is stunning, the two yarns blend together so gracefully that they look like they were made for each other. The thicker yarn provides the main colour palette and the mohair delicately colours in the back-ground. I sat down with the shade cards, comparing colours to figure out which colours work best together, so you don’t have to worry about what goes with what. I put together a bunch of options, but my favourite colour combinations are the ones where the mohair picks up the most dominant colour in the hand-painted yarn.

The Yarns

Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint is a classic worsted weight, 100% Superwash Peruvian wool. Ultra Wool Handpaint is hand-dyed using a watercolor brush technique. The result is the machine-washable wool you love with speckled colors throughout. We recommend alternating skeins to get a cohesive overall look as each skein is unique. Use it along with our Ultra Wool for unlimited combinations. 100% Superwash Wool, 100g/200m (219 yds), made in Peru.

Berroco Aerial is an airy and light blend of mohair and silk. It’s a perfect yarn to carry along with any one of our work-horse yarns to give a soft halo to any project. 65% Superkid Mohair, 35% Silk, 25g/260m (284 yds). Hand-wash in cold water, lay flat to dry.

PRE-ORDER

These kits as a special-order and we aren’t stocking them in the store on a regular basis, although you have the option to order it any time (it will be available to purchase as long as the manufacturer makes it available to us). Your kit will ship or be available for pick-up once it arrives, and we will contact you. If you need your kit for a specific date please let us know and we can find out if it’s feasible. It may take two to three weeks to get your kit, or less time, depending on when our next order is shipping.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a classic oversized, simple circular yoke pullover combining  Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint and Berroco Aerial for an allover dreamy look. This easy project creates depth of colour and texture by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, it’s not hard). Turmeric is worked in one piece in the round, from the top-down.

Size

  • Finished Bust: (36, 41½, 45) [49, 53, 56½] {60, 64, 68}” / (91.5, 105.5, 114.5) [124.5, 134.5, 143.5] {152.5, 162.5, 172.5} cm
  • Length: (22, 22¼, 22¼) [22½, 22½, 23] {23, 23, 24}” / (56, 56.5, 56.5) [57, 57, 58.5] {58.5, 58.5, 61} cm (down center back)
  • Shown in size 41½” / 105.5 cm.
  • Recommended ease: approximately 8″ / 20 cm of positive ease.

Kit Includes

Kit DOES NOT Include

Gauge: 17 sts and 26 rows = 4″ / 10 cm in Stockinette stitch on larger needles with C1 and C2 held together

Rooibos

Rooibos is a classic and easy-to-wear raglan using Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint and Berroco Aerial. This easy project creates depth of colour and texture by working with 2 strands of yarn held together (don’t worry, it’s not hard). Rooibos is worked in one piece in the round, from the top-down.

Size

  • Chest/Bust: (36, 40, 45) [49, 53, 57] {62, 66, 70}” / (91.5, 102, 114) [124.5, 137, 145] {158, 168, 178} cm
  • Length: (20, 21, 21½) [22, 22½, 23] {24, 24½, 25½}” / (51, 53, 54.5) [56, 57, 58.5] {61, 62, 65} cm
  • Shown in size 45″ / 114 cm.
  • Recommended ease: approximately 8–10″ / 20–25.5 cm positive ease.

Gauge: 16 sts and 22 rows/rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in St st on larger needles with MC and CC held together

Kit Includes

Kit DOES NOT Include

NEW Halo Bundles & Swerve Shawl

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Swerve

Adrienne just knit up this gorgeous SWERVE for us using one of the Fleece Artist/Handmaiden Halo Bundles. The shawl is a delicate combination of fingering weight merino alternated with a fine kid-mohair, making it light, feminine, but also interesting. The yarn bundles are dyed together, so you don’t have to worry about combing or matching your yarns, and they’re also very reasonably priced at $43.97 each. Plus, the pattern knits up on 5.5mm/US9 needles, so it won’t take *forever* to work up!

Materials

Fleece Artist/Handmaiden Halo Bundles

Fleece Artist-Handmaiden Halo bundles are combo of two yarns hand-dyed together. Fleece Artist Merino Slim fingering weight merino and Handmaiden Angel Hair fingering weight mohair join forces to create gorgeous textural combos scarf, wrap, shawl and sweater patterns. You can hold the two strands together at the same time (like Love Note by Tin Can Knits), or alternate yarns (like Birds of a Feather by Andrea Mowry). Because they are dyed together the colours always match – no guess work!

  • Yarn A: Handmaiden Angel Hair: 70% Mohair, 30% Nylon, 50g/400m
  • Yarn B: Fleece Artist Merino Slim: 100% Superwash Merino, 120g/400m
  • Fingering Weight
  • 26sts = 4″/10cm
  • 4mm/US6 needles
  • Hand wash, lay flat to dry
  • Made in Canada

PROJECTS Over Easy, Kelowna & Kinikin

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In my last post I talked about tension, why it’s important and how to do it properly. In this one I’m sharing two projects that inspired me to swatch. In that post I mentioned that it’s a great idea to upload your swatch data to your Ravelry account for posterity, which is already proving handy today as I’m writing from home, without my swatch at hand! All the patterns today are beginner friendly, accessible and affordable.

Photo: Espace Tricot

Over Easy

This is the pattern that got me swatching, Over Easy. I thought it would make a great, quick ‘n easy fall knit, especially for the less experienced knitters. It’s knit in the round from the bottom up, the upper front and back are each worked flat, the shoulders are seamed, and then the sleeves are picked up and knit from the top-down. It’s worked up on BIG needles, and the yarn is fuzzy and hides a multitude of sins.

The yarn I was testing out is Drops Melody, a super soft, light and fluffy blend of alpaca and wool. What I really love about this yarn is that it looks like a bulky mohair, but it feels like a baby’s bum! Seriously, every time I touch a ball I’m shocked that it doesn’t have new-baby smell. The reason I was testing it was because I recognized that it would look great worked holding multiple strands together, but I didn’t precisely know how it would respond on different sized needles, or the difference between holding two or three strands together. It turns out my first instinct was right, I think this pattern would work best with12mm/US17 needles and holding two strands together. If you find you knit tightly on larger needles (some people do, but I don’t) then you’ll want to go up to a 15mm/US19 needle.

Photos: Espace Tricot

Size

  • Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4)
  • Body circumference: 64 (69, 76, 76)”
  • Sleeve length: 8.5 (8.5, 7.5, 7.5)”
  • Length from shoulder to bottom: 18 (18, 21, 23)”

Use the following as a general guide for sizing based on bust measurement:

  • Size 1: if you have a 28″- 34″ bust
  • Size 2: if you have a 36″- 44″ bust
  • Size 3: if you have a 46 – 52″ bust
  • Size 4: if you have a 52″ + bust

Materials

  • Drops Melody (holding 2 strands together): 5(6, 7, 8) balls
  • 12mm/US17 – 32″ circular needles (15mm/US19 if you knit tight)
  • 12mm/US17 – 16″ circular needles OR double pointed needles (15mm/US19 if you knit tight)
  • Stitch marker to indicate beginning of round
  • Tapestry needle to weave in ends
  • FREE Pattern
Photo: Tara-Lynn Morrison

Kelowna

This is the other sweater that got me swatching, Kelowna. This one is knit in the round from the top-down, and is approachable to everyone- at any knitting level. For this sweaterI’d use two strands held together and whatever size needle gets you gauge (my swatch was closest with a 9mm/US13, but you might want go bigger … it’ll be a great opportunity to practice checking your tension!

This might be my next COVID sweater (I haven’t been especially prolific), but I’m not sure which colour …maybe the petrol green?

Materials

  • Drops Melody (holding 2 strands together): 6 balls
  • Check the pattern for exact needle size and lengths (they suggest 8mm/US11, 9mm/US13, and 12mm/US17)
  • Stitch markers (4)
  • Tapestry needle to weave in ends
  • Pattern

If fuzzy isn’t your thing but you like the bones of this sweater check out Frid by Tara-Lynn Morrison – You can use Malabrigo Rasta or Cascade Spuntaneous. If those options are a little too spendy for you right now, try Drops Andes and go down to a 9mm/US13 needle and go up to the larger size).

Photos: Tara-Lynn Morrison
Photo: Tara-Lynn Morrison

Kinikin

Kinikin is a cardiganzied version of the sweater above with a looser tension. Based on my tension swatches I’d use 12mm/US17 needles instead of 15mm/US19 and hold two strands of Drops Melody together.

Materials

  • Drops Melody (holding 2 strands together): 6 balls
  • Check the pattern for exact needle size and lengths (they suggest 8mm/US11, 10mm/US15, and 15mm/US19)
  • Stitch markers (4)
  • Tapestry needle to weave in ends
  • Pattern

PROJECT Spring Quaker Yarn Stretcher

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Quaker Yarn Stretcher

I loved out first version of the Quaker Yarn Stretcher that we made a second in a lighter, springier colour. We used the same yarn, one skein of Handmaiden Maiden Hair, but we tried some larger (7mm/US10.75) needles this time and got an even lighter, airier effect. It still makes a great, light-as-air scarf, but you can see in the pictures below it’s a perfect wrap for cool summer evenings and chilly wedding halls everywhere. Or just drape it on things around your hose and enjoy the prettiness all year (I seriously used to have a friend who did this – she used to art-direct her apartment long before blogging and the internet. Her for-display-only yarn basket was what got me into knitting).

The yarn, Handmaiden Maiden Hair, is just gorgeous, I absolutely adore working with it before, during, and after the project. Apparently you do to, so we have ordered more in some springier colours and it is on it’s way!

Notes

  • We accidentally changed the pattern and worked e rows of garter stitch instead of reverse-stocking stitch, but it isn’t highly noticeable (see modifications below)
  • I splurged and got myself a second set of Knitter’s Pride Knit Blockers, because I absolutely freakin’ LOVE THEM. Blocking the shawl was a dream with them, they are my favourite new thing.

Modifications

  • R 1 to 12: Work Rows 1 to 12 as written in pattern
  • R13 to 18: Repeat Rows 1 & 6 three times

Materials

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

PROJECT Paprika

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Paprika

I’m sorry it’s been so long since you’ve heard from us, I’ve had the Flu for what seems like an ETERNITY! While I’ve spent a good amount of my spare time dosed to the gills with Dayquil/NyQuil, I’ve managed to get a few things finished … including this sweater, Paprika.

I love the look of mohair, but I don’t love the itchy feel, so I’ve been doing some experimenting with Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk. It looks like mohair, but it feels like happy. Plus, it’s light as air! I made Paprika with two strands held together, on 8mm/US11 needles. It was a fast and easy knit, worked in one piece from the bottom-up, so no seaming – nothing fussier than picking up stitches.

The style is oversized and roomy. I made a medium but I could have easily made a small. It was definitely an affordable knit, coming in under $50 (I used 8 skeins of Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk).  

When you’re ready to make yours you should definitely take a look at our pattern notes on Ravelry, I found a few quirks with the pattern and noted my modifications & etc. I also feel that the sleeves are way too long and I’d make them several inches shorter. Other than that, I’m pretty pleased with the results!

Size

  • S(M, L, XL)
  • Finished Bust Circumference: 45(48, 41, 54.5) inches or 112(120, 128, 136) cm

Materials

  • Drops Brushed Alpaca and Silk: 8(9, 9, 10) balls. (holding 2 strands together, shown in colour 3 gray)
  • 6mm/US10 -36″ circular needles
  • 6mm/US10 double pointed needles
  • 8mm/US11 – 29″ (or longer) circular needles
  • 8mm/US11 double pointed needles (or 16″ circular)
  • Pattern
  • Our Notes on Ravelry

FINISHED Quaker Yarn Stretcher

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Handmaiden Maidenhair Quaker Stretcher BLOG 2Handmaiden Maidenhair Quaker Stretcher BLOG 1

Quaker Yarn Stretcher

I LOVE this project, the Quaker Yarn Stretcher was definitely a win. When I cast on I wasn’t sure if it was right for the yarn (Handmaiden Maiden Hair) but my intuition told me that it would work out, so I pushed on, and I’m glad I did. By the time I was ready to cast-off, I was wishing I had another ball – not because I thought the project needed to be larger, but because I was just enjoying it so much. The size is just right for a fall scarf. The fabric is light and airy; the silk in the yarn shows up as beautiful highlights of colour, and the kid mohair creates a soft, beautiful halo. If the Handmaiden Maiden Hair is a little out of your budget, or your skin is too sensitive for any type of mohair, try a skein or two of Malabrigo Lace Baby Merino on 4mm/US6 to 4.5mm/US7 needles (2 skeins if you want a larger size) – it’s 100% super soft merino wool and puffs up with a beautiful aura type halo effect.

Materials

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Handmaiden Maidenhair Quaker Stretcher COMBO

FINISHED OBJECTS

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Weather is a strange thing, our environment has such a strong influence on us, but we rarely feel our relationship with it (spoiler, this might end up being a slightly philosophical update). Spring brings a lot of change and does strange, unpredictable things to my mood. My fibre arts compass goes haywire, I lose my direction and end up working on a bunch of random little projects that don’t really have much to do with selling you stuff. That’s ok, we can both use a break once in a while to charge our creative juices.

The following is a parade of the random projects I’ve accomplished this spring …

handmaiden mohoair tissue box cover

Mohair Tissue Box Cover

A pink, mohair tissue box cover. It isn’t my first tissue box cover, but so part it is my favourite. I made it for my house, but it landed at my parent’s house (cause you know, every mom should receive a pink mohair tissue box cover for mother’s day). I’ll make a second for myself. Why pink mohair? I wanted it to hearken back to an old 1960’s mohair sweater, the colour was perfect – Thank You Fleece Artist-Handmaiden! Why a tissue box cover? They’re ugly, I can’t think of a better object to ear a sweater.

Materials

 

Rowan Denim Tunisian Hand Towel

Tunisian Hand Towel

I sometimes in the warm weather I like to mess around with Tunisian Crochet, and flat, rectangular things are great for that. I took the Rowan Original Denim for a ride, and it was win-win all around! We now have a pretty new table thingy in the store, and I got to rev my spring crochet engine. The denim was lovely and the crochet was fun! If you want to learn how to do Tunisian Crochet (it is very easy) we have an upcoming class on May 28th. If you can’t make that, you can also learn the way I did – on Craftsy! Jennifer Hansen’s Tunisian Crochet class on Craftsy is EXCELLENT, I highly recommend it.

Materials

 

DMC natura XL bowl cozy.jpg

Bowl Cozy

This bowl cozy is another test-drive, playing around with yarn, covering up something unsightly project. Plus, you can never have enough knitted & crochet objects in a yarn store, right? Anyway, I chose the yellow because it matched the other stuff already on the table. The DMC Natura XL crocheted really well, I’m very pleased with it. Just a side note, crocheted bowl don’t seem to stand up all by themselves, unless you make them twice as tall and fold the edge over on the inside of itself, to make a double wall. I opted to stick a regular bowl inside my crocheted bowl to maintain it’s structure. It’s all display, but hey, what isn’t these days?

Materials

 

dmc natura xl lace swatch

Swatch for Dawning

This one is in-progress, but what the hell … I’ve completed swatching for DAWNING, a bulky-weight lace pullover from a back-issue Creative Knitting (I tracked a digital version down through the interweb). I wanted to take the DMC Natura XL out for a real drive, and I always need things to wear around the store. The uninspiring colour matches my summer wardrobe, which is usually a safari-esque palette.

So far, I’ve made 4 swatches, and one arm (presently blocking). I usually try to start a sweater with the arm – if things start going sideways with the tension I can find out much faster than if I’d started with the back. Cotton has a tendency to stretch, as does lace, so thorough swatching was important to make sure I won’t end up with a sweater-a-saurus. I was also curious to see how the yarn worked-up on different size needles; it seems to be fairly flexible and does well on a 7mm/US10.75 to 9mm/US13 needles, but if you use the larger sizes expect your garment to stretch in the wash.

Materials

 

Noro Silk Garden Wood Fungus Tea Cozy.jpeg

Quirky Tea Cozy

Yes, I made a tea cozy that looks like it crawled off the page of a Dr Seuss book. And I LOVE it! It was a birthday gift for my mother, who can’t stand receiving gifts unless they are something she has been coveting or are hand knit. And yes, I went out and bought a teapot to go with it – it was necessary to try on the cozy as I worked. And let’s face it, this one is ALL display. It is currently hanging out with the Mohair Tissue Box Cover (above). The pattern is by Loani Prior, Tea Cozy GENIUS. The yarn is Noro Silk Garden, and full disclosure, I used an extra skein and played around with the colour distribution A LOT. What you see in the finished product is extensive editing.

Materials

 

Well, there you have it, a bunch of weird stuff. If there is a theme, I guess it would be “don’t be afraid to try new things”. You never know what you’ll like, or even fall in love with. Spring & Summer are great low-pressure seasons when you can play around and try new things, and I am all for taking advantage if that.

On my to-do list is a larger project using Rowan Original Denim – I’m thinking a knit wrap of some kind? Something that really exploits the denim texture and indigo colour.